Work on the deal with Scottish National Party (SNP) & Liberal Democrats to target certain vulnerable Tory seats.

Corbyn has to confront the 170+ Labour MPs that hate his guts and do some deal to ensure a Labour victory is the sole priority of this election and not personal vendettas. Corbyn should negotiate a ceasefire on the internal backstabbing as the chance of state power looms.

Some Labour MPs have openly said they won’t support Corbyn which is so childish.

May as PM has been a disappointment. Her Cabinet has been uninspiring with the likes of David Davis, Michael Fallon, Amber Rudd and Boris Johnson failing to impress in their high profile portfolios. Their shadow opposites in the Labour Party have been equally dismal.

A few days ago Corbyn ruled out any deal with the SNP. Corbyn must realise that he cannot win power without help from the SNP. He also has to rely on the Liberal Democrats winning seats from the Conservatives in the Home Counties and West Country.

[Hard to believe that Labour is polling poorly against the Conservatives in former strongholds such as Wales and Scotland.]

Corbyn’s must remember that – in Northern Ireland – his hero the late Martin McGuiness (Sinn Fein/IRA) was prepared to share power with life long enemy Ian Paisley (DUP). So Jeremy should have publicly ruled nothing out.

In Scotland, Labour has a mountain to climb given the Scottish Conservatives have overtaken them under leadership of the impressive Ruth Davidson.

May has hinted that she will not take part in any live televised debates with other party leaders. This is the height of complacency by the cocksure Tory leader. Corbyn and the other politicial leaders should go ahead with the debates and exploit May’s disrespect to the electorate.

So it was disappointing to read that one of Corbyn’s spokesmen had stated that the Labour leader would only participate in the televised debates if May appears too. Really? This kind of narrow minded thinking is one of my concerns about Labour’s campaign team.

During Canada’s 2015 elections PM Stephen Harper participated in just 1of the 5 televised debates. Harper’s main opposition rival was Tom Mulcair from the New Democratic Party. Mulcair refused to participate in the debates that didn’t include Harper.

Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau (then 3rd in initial polling & seats) seized on their absence and excelled in the debates. This no doubt had an impact in Trudeau’s seismic victory at the elections. The Liberal Party gained a staggering 148 seats.

If Labour runs a smart campaign they can win enough seats to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats and the SNP. If not, Labour may be in the recycle bin for generations.

Finally, to Labour Party campaign leaders – keep Ken Livingstone and his like far from the campaign and the media. I liked Ken when he was my MP in North West London. But today he has become selfishly toxic which hasn’t helped his old chum Jeremy.

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn continues to have a rough time. Labour’s lost at the recent by-election in Copeland to the Tories was the bluntest of rebukes for Corbyn.

Corbyn is fire fighting on so many fronts whether from his own MPs, senior Labour members, the media and the public. Prime MinisterTheresa May is the least of his troubles. Corbyn has yet to make inroads on May’s lukewarm performance so far as PM.

The recent passing of Labour MP Gerald Kaufman means another by-election looms. A by-election Corbyn cannot afford to lose or win with a slim majority. (At the last general elections in 2015 Kaufman won 67% of the vote in the constituency of Manchester Gorton).

Today the Jeremy Corbyn-run Labour Party looks out of sorts, amateurish and disjointed.

Labour’s Shadow Cabinet needs a revamp. But making new appointments is not easy given the number of resignations Corbyn’s had since 2015.

Corbyn has to reverse his flagging leadership immediately.

How can Corbyn can reverse his slide?

1. Corbyn needs to appear on political debating shows – such as BBC’s weekly Question Time (TV) and Any Questions (Radio) – on a regular basis. Since he became leader in 2015 I cannot recall Corbyn appearing on such programmes – outside the Labour leadership debates.

2. Corbyn should call out some of those Labour MPs and senior members who continue to undermine his leadership. But do so in an constructive witty manner.

[Corbyn should publicly accept that he cannot expect 100% loyalty from all Labour MPs on any given policy. Given he was one of Labour’s most rebellious MPs during his 30+ years as a backbencher.]

3. Corbyn needs to replace his support team with more pragmatic, positive minded and streetwise individuals. Corbyn’sinner circle is too trade union centric. He needs staff with proven experience of modern effective communications strategies and reputation building.

4. Corbyn must have a more aspirational approach to his policies on post-BREXIT economy, Housing, NHS, Education and Immigration.

5. Corbyn must move Labour’s economic policy to the centre-left. This would mean ditching his current shadow chancellor and friend John McDonnell whose ideas do not appeal the middle class vote.

6. Corbyn should travel to EU countries, US and other G20 nations to learn about their approach to effective policies and good governance. Corbyn should work on building networks with politicians in these countries.

He needs to build his profile as a statesman beyond the comfort zone of the British Isles. E.g. Corbyn should be visiting Canada to develop good working relationships with the current Liberal government.

7. During the recent US election campaign Corbyn should have visited there regularly to observe first hand the approach taken by both leading Democratic and Republican candidates.

Corbyn and his team should now be analysing and learning from the communication/campaign strategies of both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. But also learn from the mistakes made by Hillary Clinton.

8. Corbyn needs to bring a personal touch to his social media messaging. Corbyn’s twitter account at times is too formal and too political. It lacks any flair or humour and views away from politics.

To me Lindy was Jamaica’s greatest all round sporting personality. Some may say Usain Bolt, but when you add up Lindy’s achievements across numerous sports plus his accomplishments and influence as a broadcaster, he is a hard act to match.

As a young man Lindy excelled at many different sports including athletics, gymnastics, cricket, diving, football, boxing, golf. In the end Lindy chose to play professional football and became a pioneer for black players in England.

Lindy won the England’s top league title with Portsmouth FC in 1949. Injuries had limited his playing time there before he transferred in 1950 to Middlesbrough football club in the north east where he became a legend.

Returning to Jamaica in the 1960s Lindy became head of sports for the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) when he also developed the media careers of Allie McNab, Patrick Anderson, Tino Geddes and Hugh Crosskill jr.

Lindy brought to our screens English football, US sports, the football World Cup, Commonwealth Games, West Indies cricket and The Olympics. He thus influenced many Jamaicans from any early age to support English football clubs. No doubt young Jamaicans were inspired to take up sprinting after seeing on tv the likes of Donald Quarrie and Merelene Ottey perform at the Olympics.

Lindy was such an engaging story teller. To young viewers like me I was fascinated by his tales of living in England. Lindy would discuss his army activities after World War 2 concluded, facing racism in England, playing multiple sports and the overall culture from a black perspective of 1940s/50s Britain.

As a kid growing up in Jamaica during the 1970s/80s I learnt some much about world football just from listening to Lindy’s stories.

Lindy was the first person I heard mention the great Hungarian side of the 1950s. At the time I didn’t even know Hungary was good at football.

I thought Lindy was talking rubbish. That was until when living in England I saw archive footage of how that Hungarian team destroyed England (then the “best team in the world”) twice during the 1950s. Even today English football has never forgotten that humiliation from Hungary.

In the 1990s English football fans at work or during pub talk were surprised by my knowledge of that Hungarian team. What they didn’t know was that all I was doing was simply quoting Lindy. So when I started running off the Hungarian team’s names by heart that gave me so much street cred.

Whenever I came across older Middlesbrough supporters at London football matches I would ask if they saw Lindy play live. Those that saw Lindy play would speak of his speed and powerful shots on goal. Some would say Lindy was the best player they saw at the club.

In fact Lindy was so fast that Great Britain sought out Lindy to represent them at London’s 1948 Olympics in the 100m. But as Lindy was a professional sportsman he was not allowed to participate in amateur events like The Olympics.

I admired the fact Lindy just never stopped working in media even in his 80s. He previewed English Premier League matches and Jamaican horse racing on his weekly radio show.

When asked who was the best player he had ever seen Lindy would say England’s Sir Stanley Matthews. Today Matthews is regarded by football experts as one of the top 5 English players of all time. Matthews and Lindy played in the same era at the same position – outside right. Ironically one of Lindy’s colleagues at Middlesbrough said if Lindy was white no one would have of heard of Matthews.

One wonders what would have happened to his career had Lindy not rejected a move to Manchester United.

Linda Delapenha is an extraordinary Jamaican whose influence is still in evidence today.

A sign of how Lindy was still appreciated in England was shown over the weekend by two of his former clubs – Portsmouth and Mansfield Town – who paid their own tribute to him prior to the start of their matches.

Radio programmes in Jamaica continues to be one of the key strengths in local media here.

Whether it’s in the area of current affairs, sports, health, politics, law or music the quality of such radio shows is impressive.

One such programme is Night Cap “The Stories Behind the Music”on Thursdays on RJR from 8pm – midnight.

Hosted by Heather Grant aka Brown Sugar, Night Cap – “The Stories Behind the Music” features one-on-one interviews (sometimes 2 guests) with Jamaican singers, musicians, producers who were integral to the development of Jamaican music (ska, rock steady, reggae) from the 1960s onwards.

Yes, the guests are given the whole 4 hours to tell their stories, mixed with the songs they were involved in creating. For the final 2 hours of the show Brown Sugar take calls from the public which have included former class mates and future guests to the show.

The stories told are funny, spiritual and at times moving. The guests described the hardships, the good days, funny moments on tour and how the music gave them a sustained purpose in life even today.

From the interviews you hear anecdotes that may not be found written in any books. (Apart from Bob Marley we know there are very few biographies of other Jamaican musical figures).

Anecdotes from the interviews so far included:

How Max Romeo initially hated the recording of his controversial U.K. hit “Wet Dream”, until his producer Lee Perry told him to “go sleep” and wait for the public’s reaction.

A 15 year old Sly Dunbar played on the U.K. chart topping “Double Barrel” by Dave and Ansell Collins.

The pride Lloyd Parks feels even today in having played on some of Dennis Brown’s greatest songs such “Love Has Found It’s Way”.

Horace Andy wrote the first lines to Dennis Brown’s “Created By The Father” and handed it to D Brown as a gift to complete and record.

Horace Andy nickname is Sleepy because since childhood he is prone to dosing off easily – even at one of his own gigs when in the front row.

Errol Dunkley wrote and sang his first song in 1962 aged 11 produced by the late Prince Buster.

Leroy Sibbles (of the Heptones) signed Errol Dunkley to Studio One records.

How significant Leroy Sibbles was to Jamaican music. Sibbles regrets that his impact as a singer, songwriter, producer, musician, arranger and A&R man was never fully documented at the time.

Sonia Pottinger was well respected as she was one of the few record producers to pay the singers/musicians on time.

The strong influence of the Chinese community in the music business during the 1960s/70s.

One of my funnier moments listening to the show was when Sibbles was told by Brown Sugar that his former Heptones band-mate Earl Morgan will be the guest the following week. Sibbles turned to Brown Sugar and said “Tell him to talk the truth“.

One common theme shared by some of the guests is the affection and admiration they had for their friend the late Dennis Brown.

Another common thread from the show is how a small area of Kingston (covering Trench Town, Jones Town, Waterhouse) was where many of these musical pioneers spent their childhood and developed their craft.

By the end of each program you can sense how grateful and humble the guests feel being interviewed at such lengths for Jamaicans to hear. As most feel their input in to Jamaican music has been largely ignored and unappreciated in local circles.

I do hope the makers of this brilliant programme promote and share the interviews with other media houses & reggae historians globally. Especially in Europe and Japan where these musicians are revered like music royalty.

RJR could approach airlines that travel to the Caribbean to suggest including these interviews as part of any in-flight entertainment.

Peter Bunting has decided not to challenge Peter Phillips to succeed Portia Simpson-Miller as leader of Jamaica’s People’s National Party (PNP).

In his statement Bunting also felt Phillips is the right person to lead the current party of opposition. So far no contender has come forward to challenge Phillips.

Buntings decision is strange given he has been hinting all along his ambition to lead the PNP once Simpson-Miller steps down.

Are the other PNP MPs afraid to run against Phillips? One horse race is never good for any democratic organisation. Especially when choosing a new leader.

Phillips has been credited with steadying the economy when he was Finance Minister (2012-2016). But economic growth under his management was minimal and never reached 2%.

Being classed a steady finance minister is no guarantee route to being an effective political party leader and the next PM. Managing government finances and leading a country requires different attributes.

An effective finance minister has to act like a gloomy big bully to force govt ministers/departments to cut spending annually in the name of efficiency. While a party leader is required to inspire and promise the electorate a feel good environment.

PNP members who emphatically endorse Phillips seem to forget he was campaign director for the recent general elections that the PNP government lost in February 2016.

Phillips has been a seasoned Cabinet member and has held a number of senior positions including the daunting National Security.

Ken Clarke

The current PNP leadership ‘race’ reminds me of the then opposition U.K. Conservative Party leadership battle in 2005, when Ken Clarke was the clear favorite.

Similar to Phillips, Clarke was a seasoned Cabinet minister at government departments such as Education, Health, Home Office, Treasury etc.

All assumed Clarke (or even David Davis) would win the leadership easily until a little known 39 year old MP – David Cameron – showed up and won.

Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown – another former British Chancellor of the Exchequer – succeeded Tony Blair as Labour Party leader and Prime Minister in 2007.

Labour Party members and MPs felt Brown “deserved” his new appointments. Brown faced no serious challenge to be Labour leader. A move that has proved costly for Labour even today.

Brown just could not connect with the average voter. The abrasive style he ran the Treasury was never going to work as PM. Brown lost the 2010 general elections to David Cameron.

Edward Seaga

Edward Seaga was leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for over 30 years. Seaga is regarded by many as the finest Jamaican finance minister in its 54 year history. But as JLP leader Seaga won just one contested general election against the PNP and lost five.

Andrew Holness

5 years ago Andrew Holness was handed the JLP leadership (& PM role) without an internal election and in less than 3 months lost the general elections to the PNP.

In 2013, JLP’s finance spokesman Audley Shaw then challenged Holness for the leadership which the former loss. Even though that leadership race was a bruising affair (half the MPs wanted Andrew out), it forced Holness to toughen up as a leader. That tough race must have boosted Holness’ chances & confidence ahead of February’s general elections. Shaw is now Finance Minister again.

—

So Bunting’s early bail out of the leadership race is disappointing. He had a fighting chance. [Phillips had previously ran twice for the leadership of the PNP and lost on both occasions.]

Peter Phillips may indeed be the right person to lead the PNP. But coronation of new party political leaders without any genuine challengers is never healthy politics.

I hope there is a leadership battle for the PNP’s top job. Party members should know the key issues and priorities of the contenders before he/she is elected.

What are their plans for violent crime, education, youth etc?

What will be different about their leadership compared to the previous leaders?

2016 has shown that the normal rules on politics has changed right across the globe.

The Democratic Party’s election loss is not healing any within its camp.

Now outgoing President Obama has ordered a review to see if/how Russia infiltrated (hacked) their way into influencing the recent US elections.

If there is one country that knows how to disrupt other nations general elections it is Uncle Sam.

Their involvement influenced the killing of Chile’s President Salvador Allende in the 1970s and the rise of the dictator General Pinochet.

Not forgetting the CIA actions to destabilise democratic elected Latin American governments such as Jamaica and Guatemala.

Haitian elections continues to be a punching bag for US administrations up to today.

We can also add the CIA involvement across Africa where leaders like Patrice Lumumba were killed with the support of the US government.

During the last decade elections in Eastern European countries such as the Ukraine and Georgia had interference from the US administration.

No surprise if the Russians had hacked email accounts of DNC officials. China must have done so too given their recent history in the hacking of US companies & other groups. Other countries are bound to have hacked the DNC servers and Hillary Clinton’s private email account.

But in the intelligence community Western allies will be tapping or hacking each other’s system’s with similar tactics. Golden Rule: Just don’t get caught!

Germany’s Angela Merkel’s phone was tapped by the US through the National Security Agency (NSA) for years.

Israeli intelligence tapped the phone of US Secretary of State John Kerry.

In the U.K. security services (such as GCHQ) listens to everybody, friend or foe.

You get the feeling the review announced by Obama has already been written and will be used to taint the early stages of the Trump administration. That politics for you.

I still find it hard to understand how US govts – who act so concerned over cyber security – allowed their top diplomats (Hillary Clinton & Colin Powell) to use private email accounts for govt business.

If a U.K. foreign affairs minister did something similar – even 15 years ago – they would be fired.

Ironic that Obama ordered this review in the same week he told CNN that he and US intelligence agencies were surprised by the rise of ISIS across Iraq and Syria. That conclusion by Obama is so hard to believe but if true is really scary.

[“This administration has no interest in crushing in ISIS according to our information and our data. We approached the State Department about ISIS before ISIS was in the headlines and we were ignored.” – to Dr. Sherkoh Abbas, chairman of the Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria]

Wikileaksteam – Provided a real insight into US campaign politics and parts of the media.

MohammadJavadZarif – Iran’s foreign minister has managed wins deals (+millions in cash) from the US and EU.

PresidentJohnMagufuli (Tanzania) Known as the “bulldozer” has caused a revolution in the governance of his nation.

ClaudioRanieri – Managed Leicester City to win the English Premier League. A major miracle.

KellyanneConway – Trumps campaign manager. First woman to be campaign manager of a winning Presidential team.

TulsiGabbard– Democrat congresswoman stood up to her party when she saw they were manipulating the primaries against Bernie Sanders. Rising star. Should Bernie back her for 2020?

SadiqKhan -A Muslim elected London’s Mayor was a huge statement.

InternationalConsortiumofInvestigativeJournalists on the release of the Panama Paper that exposed tax haven actions by the wealthy and well connected.

Winner: Claudio Ranieri – Leicester was 5000/1 to win.

Biggest Falls from Grace in 2016

DavidCameron – BREXIT’s first casualty.

PresidentDilmaRoussef – Kicked out by her colleagues in the year when Brazil hosted the Olympics.

HillaryClinton – Lost what should have been an easy route to the White House. Books are being written.

GovernorChrisChristie – An early favourite to be Trump’s running mate. Bridgegate scandal has diminished his standing within the Trump camp.

LisaHanna, MP – Once one of the more popular figures in Jamaica’s People’s National Party. In 2016 she became one of the most vilified by many of her own party colleagues. Her party leadership aspirations now looks impossible. For now.

BiggestDisappointments

Jeremy Corbyn (British Labour Party) – Needs to transform his leadership into a more aspirational, dynamic and tougher style. Should leave the protests and angernomics to others. 2017 is a big year for Corbyn.

England at the European Football Championships and getting knocked out by Iceland.